Purim and Iran

Twenty-five hundred years after our confrontation with one genocidal Persian madman, the Jewish people face another – Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the mad mullahs of Iran, who have repeatedly declared that "Israel must be wiped off the map."

Tension is thick in Israel these days as 6 million Jews await the course of events to unfold. Will Israel bomb Iran? Will the world support such an attack? And perhaps most important of all: What can we do about it?

Some important parallels are found right here in the Purim story. By examining the ancient text, we can gain guidance on how to proceed in today’s frightening situation.

Drawing Parallels

• Religious fanaticism – Haman fastened an idol to his chest and decreed that everyone must bow down. Mordechai’s refusal caused Haman to become enraged and to formulate his plan of annihilation.

A thousand years after the Purim story, Islam was born. When the Jews refused to acknowledge Muhammad as a prophet, he lashed out:

"Allah has cursed [the Jews] and transformed them into apes and pigs." (Koran 5:60)

"The Jews are covered with humiliation and poverty, and the anger of God is cast upon them." (Sura 2:61)

"Salvation will not come until Muslims kill all the Jews, hiding behind rocks and trees." (Sahih Muslim, 41:6985)

This is no mere rhetoric. In the region of Mecca, Mohammed expelled, plundered and slaughtered the Jews. Today, these Koranic statements encourage Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to declare: "The Zionist regime is a cancerous tumor and must be cut off.”

• Legalized anti-Semitism – Rather than move forward unilaterally to slaughter the Jews, Haman expended considerable money and effort to get his decree legally enshrined.

Today, too, Iran’s supreme leader has laid out the legal and religious license to attack Jews around the world and destroy the State of Israel – declaring “jurisprudential justification to kill all the Jews and annihilate Israel, and in that, the Islamic government of Iran must take the helm.”

• Willingness to self-sacrifice – As a descendent of Amalek, the prototype rabid anti-Semite, Haman is driven to hatred of the Jews even at great cost to himself – offering Achashverosh a fortune of his own money for the right of annihilation (Esther 3:9).

Standard logic does not apply to an Iranian regime driven by apocalyptic messianism.

This same illogic operates in Iran today. The standard concept of nuclear weapons kept in check by Mutually Assured Destruction (i.e. no country would dare launch a nuclear strike, given that the other side would retaliate in kind and bring about annihilation of both parties) does not apply to an Iranian regime driven by apocalyptic messianism. In fact, the opposite may be true. Just as Muslim extremists have perpetrated hundreds of suicide bombings, Iran advocates the ultimate suicide bomb: While a nuclear exchange with Israel could cost Iran 15 million people, Iranian leaders have said they regard that as a “small sacrifice” for wiping out Israel’s 6 million Jews.

• Psychological warfare – In an effort to reverse the decree, Esther did not confront Haman directly. Instead, she invited him to two banquets (Esther 5:4, 7) – diffusing his wrath, causing him to let his guard down, and becoming vulnerable to Esther’s plan.

Today, Israel may well be waging a war of misinformation designed to fool the Iranians into thinking that Israel lacks both the military might and the internal cohesion necessary to strike. Does ex-Mossad chief Meir Dagan really believe that an Israeli attack on Iran is "the stupidest thing I have ever heard"? Did an advanced Israeli drone airplane – key to any potential operation against Iran – really crash and burn in a recent experimental flight? Do these reflect reality, or, in the Purim spirit, are they intentional decoys?

• Infiltration – In the Purim story, Esther’s selection as queen gave her unprecedented access to the king – enabling her to infiltrate the inner sanctum of Persian power and save the Jewish people.

Today, Israel’s primary weapon against Iran’s nuclear program has been wreaking internal havoc: dozens of Iranian nuclear scientists have been mysteriously assassinated, and the Stuxnet computer virus destroyed 1,000 centrifuges at the Natanz nuclear facility. The virus contained the code "MYRTUS," a possible reference to the myrtle tree – in Hebrew, Hadassah, the birth name of Queen Esther.

One final similarity reveals the deeper root of challenges historically facing the Jewish people. In seeking permission to annihilate the Jews, Haman asserted:

"There is one nation scattered and split apart… whose laws are different from every other people’s” – i.e. they won't eat our food, they keep Shabbat, and they don't marry our daughters. (Esther 3:8)

Haman charged the Jews with being a disloyal, foreign element who could not be trusted. It is a theme repeated throughout history: the medieval Crusaders and Spanish inquisitors slaughtered Jews for not conforming to European religious norms; Alfred Dreyfus was convicted of treason, falsely portrayed by the French government as representing a Jewish conspiracy; the Russian secret police fabricated The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, depicting the Jews as nefariously plotting world domination.

Today as well, the State of Israel is the target of intense demonization – condemned at the U.N., placed under a magnifying glass by the media, and deligitimized with a unique double-standard far out of proportion to its size.

The solution is not for Israel to erase its differences and become a nation like all others. We must pay heed to Bilaam’s prophetic description of the Jews:

"Behold, it is a people that dwells alone, and will not be reckoned among the nations." (Numbers 23:9)

The secret to Jewish success is our distinct identity. The Netziv, a great 19th century rabbi, explains that the Jews have a holy mission to bring morality and monotheism to the world. Assimilation draws us away from that mission. As long as we retain our special character, we will assuredly survive. But when we weaken our national identity, we become an endangered species.

If we fail to promote our unique identity, anti-Semites will forcibly impose it upon us.

It has been said that “if the Jews do not make Kiddush, the non-Jews will make Havdallah.” Either we sanctify our unique identity (Kiddush), or – if we choose to erase those lines and become like all other nations – then anti-Semites will rise up and forcibly impose that distinction upon us (Havdallah).

To wit: When the Jews of the Purim story were invited to Achashverosh’s gala 180-day feast, they chose to join the crowd. It was precisely then that Haman’s slander against Jewish distinctiveness was aroused.

When we Jews falter in our mission to represent Godliness in the world, that’s when other distorted theologies step into the void. This may manifest in the blowing up of buses, flying planes into skyscrapers, or threatening nuclear apocalypse. It is a “measure for measure” consequence of inverse proportion: To the degree that the Jewish people do not fulfill our role as a light unto the nations, that is the degree that others are emboldened to act against us in a very un-Godly way.

Which brings us to a crucial question facing the State of Israel today: What is our global persona? Do we celebrate our secular universalism – rock concerts, Olympic medals and beautiful beaches – or do we emphasize our unique spiritual heritage?

Menachem Begin always kept a kippah in his pocket and, at auspicious times when visiting foreign heads of state, would wear it to recite biblical verses or a blessing. His message: We are a unique and holy nation. Far from incurring the scoffs of world leaders, this display of Jewish pride earned Israel enormous respect.

Getting Practical

With the spectre of nuclear annihilation now hovering over Israel’s head, what can we – Jews, gentiles, and all people of good will – do about it?

When Esther was informed of the impending genocide, she agreed to approach the king, while urging Mordechai with one request: Have the Jews fast and pray for three days. She knew that in times of peril, we turn our sights toward Heaven and recognize that strength and victory comes only through He Who declared us an eternal nation.

Esther’s message reverberates clearly for us today:

Yes, we must make efforts to influence governments to support Israel’s right to self-defense (at the very least, by signing this petition), while leaving the decision of mounting an attack against Iran's nuclear sites to those who have the full necessary information.

Yes, we must expose the media for its biased downplaying of the existential threat to Israel’s existence.

But above all, we must be worthy of Divine assistance.

A Divine connection is necessary to make our mission successful.

At the end of the Purim story, Esther successfully gained the king’s support for a Jewish battle against Haman's decree. After spending months in military preparations, one day before the outbreak of war – on the 13th of Adar – all the Jewish soldiers observed a fast. Subjecting the troops to physical weakness would seem highly counter-productive. Yet the Jews understood that fasting helps to lower the volume on physicality in order to focus more acutely on the spiritual self, thus forging the Divine connection necessary to make our mission successful.

When the battle was over, the Jewish nation emerged victorious. It was a time of tremendous Jewish unity, a dramatic reversal of the description Haman used to denounce the Jews: "There is one nation scattered and split apart...” (Esther 3:8)

The commentators, reading between the lines, see the words “scattered and split” as a reference to Jewish division and strife. This is precisely what gave Haman the confidence to rise up against us. Esther therefore understood that to merit salvation, her people would need to come together in a spirit of unity. She thus told Mordechai: “Go, assemble all the Jews” (Esther 4:16) – i.e. I can only succeed if the Jews are united.

This, too, is the message for us today. We are all in this together. Everyone must take a role - whether spiritual, activist, military, or combination thereof. And just as Haman did not discriminate amongst us, so too we must respect and appreciate the role that every other Jew plays.

The threat from Iran goes far beyond an isolated targeting of Israel. It's a wake-up call for everyone. Iran has made clear that it would treat any Israeli attack as an American attack and respond accordingly – unleashing terror cells against Jewish and American targets around the world.

This idea of a shared destiny was formalized in the Purim traditions established by Mordechai (Esther 9:22). We send Mishloach Manot, gifts of food one to another, to engrain in us the message: If we are to prevail, we must unite under the banner of Jewish pride – celebrating our unique heritage, our unique message, and our unique ability to bring that inspiration to the world.

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About the Author

Rabbi Shraga Simmons is the co-founder of Aish.com, and co-author of "48 Ways to Wisdom" (ArtScroll). He is Founder and Director of Aish.com's advanced learning site. He is co-founder of HonestReporting.com, and author of "David & Goliath", the definitive account of anti-Israel media bias. Originally from Buffalo, New York, he holds a degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin, and rabbinic ordination from the Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem. He lives with his wife and children in the Modi'in region of Israel.

The opinions expressed in the comment section are the personal views of the commenters. Comments are moderated, so please keep it civil.

Visitor Comments: 70

(59)
Marlene Langert,
February 24, 2013 5:33 PM

How are we to gather jews together?

How are we to accomplish gathering jews together when:
1.Such a large percentage to not even believe in g-d.?
2. Such a large percentage vote for enemies who are trying to destroy Israel such as Obama?
3. Many jews, even some rabbis, side with the arabs.
THis jew, for one, cannot gather together with those described in these three ways.

(58)
Raja aulat,
April 22, 2012 6:41 AM

it was very intersting to read your article on how jews compute days

(57)
Yosef dyms,
March 24, 2012 9:07 AM

Purim and Iran

I really like the way you discuss the topic.. Am Yisrael Khai..

(56)
Carlos M Baltodano,
March 19, 2012 1:27 AM

Purim was about God salvation for the Jews not to be anihileted by Haman conspiration it happend in response of queen Esther and his uncle Mardoqueo that call all jews for FASTING Y PRAYING TO GOD FOR HIS SALVATION. Today jews are looking for human sources to be save from Iran but no body is calling to God as the queen Esther did it .God still the same loving his people WHY WE DONT CALL ON HIM AGAIN ?

Ariel Ephraim,
February 21, 2013 3:51 PM

how do you know?

Who says wer are not praying to God for salvation? Have you ever heard of the fast of Esther, done every year, precisely in today's date?

(55)
Anonymous,
March 18, 2012 6:27 AM

Livni, please note....solidarity is the name of the game!

Concur whole heartedly. Chazak Ve'ematz

(54)
Imogene Crawlwy,
March 17, 2012 7:07 PM

I love Israel and I pray for her every day. I Thank G d that I have been able to visit there three times. and hope to again.

(53)
Anonymous,
March 10, 2012 6:13 PM

May God bless Israel

Israel has always been a victim of many Arab nations desiring to exterminate them. I know that God will not allow this because they do not know the God of Israel.

I was fortunate to receive this information...everyone, Jewish or Gentile should read this article and become informed..this is a very serious situation, that may affect the entire World, especially the mideast and the USA.

(49)
Walt Henry,
March 8, 2012 2:09 AM

Great words of wisdom

I'm thankful for your recap of the jewish/Iran crisis

(48)
Anonymous,
March 7, 2012 7:17 PM

RABBIS PREDICT

the Rabbis of Blessed Memory taught: in the End of Days Persia (Iran) will become prominent. When that statement was made Persia was a minor country. If we would hear that Uganda will become a leading country in a few years, we would laugh. So, too, in those days, some people must have laughed about Persia. But today we see how prophetic this statement was.
We must always believe in the words of our Rabbis

(47)
Karena,
March 7, 2012 7:05 PM

Our God Delivers

NEVER AGAIN! Peace to you Jerusalem from America.

(46)
Anonymous,
March 7, 2012 3:10 PM

Great Article.

Thank you!
UNITED WE STAND. DIVIDED WE FALL......

(45)
Roberr,
March 7, 2012 2:15 PM

My guess when it is all said and done the president of Iran will suffer the same fate by his own people as Benito
Mussolini.

Meira,
March 7, 2012 4:19 PM

Good post

Good post, and from your mouth to G-d's ears. I pray that you prove right. The Iranian people deserve much better leadership than they have, and with G-d's help they will be able to attain it.

(44)
Questioner,
March 7, 2012 1:49 PM

Jews in Iran

I've never understood that despite the rhetoric coming Iran, Jews are allowed to live and practice their religion there. I'm surprised the current regime didn't make the Jews their first victims when the Shah was outsted years ago.

Morris Abadi,
March 7, 2012 4:09 PM

Hostages

The answer is that the jews are hostages over there. Exactly as they were, some years ago, in Syria. Or, they work well and hard.

(43)
Sy,
March 7, 2012 12:24 PM

NEVER AGAIN!

(42)
Anonymous,
March 7, 2012 11:23 AM

Iranian people are different from...

I am Iranian and ashamed on the behavior of my government against Israel. Keep in your mind that people in Iran are different from the regime and even regime torcher its own people, put them in prison and kill them. People in Iran seek peace, friendship and security. We admire the Jwiesh people who work hard, enjoy the best technology and want to live in peace.

Anonymous,
March 7, 2012 4:21 PM

The Iranian People Deserve Better Government

With G-d's help, the Iranian people will be able to break free of their toxic government. They are good people, and they deserve a great deal better than they've got.

harold,
March 7, 2012 4:47 PM

thank you

I went to a seminar recently which said that only 10% of Iranians support the regime.
I hope that the regime is quickly brought to an end and Iranians live in health, peace and prosperity

(41)
Leonar Elkins,
March 7, 2012 12:39 AM

Much to learn

This article taught me much,simple and to the point

(40)
Dave and Carol,
March 6, 2012 8:10 PM

Esther 7.9-10 in part

'....there is the gallows ....which Haman has made for Mordecai, who spoke good on behalf of the king. And the king said, Hang him on it. 10. So they hanged Haman...then the king's anger subsided.'

(39)
Shraga Simmons,
March 6, 2012 7:01 PM

Netanyahu's gift to Obama speaks volumes about Iranian threat

At Monday's important meeting in Washington, Netanyahu handed Obama a Scroll of Esther. “Then too, they wanted to wipe us out,” Netanyahu told Obama. This is such a crucial message!

(38)
Felix,
March 6, 2012 6:57 PM

As Haman failed in his mission to wipe out the Jews,Hamadinejad will definitely failed too in his wholesale apocalyptic mission of wiping out the Jews and the entire world.

(37)
Anonymous,
March 6, 2012 10:59 AM

A Nation That Dwells Alone

See book "The Prime Ministers" by Yehuda Avner, part 3, chapter 33 "The Bible Circle", for a very interesting account of a bible study circle in Prime Minister Begin's home, which was studying Bilaam’s prophetic description of the Jews. It finishes with:
"So there you have it" concluded Begin snapping the book shut. "Cease dwelling alone and we cease to exist. What a conundrum!"

(36)
Wassim,
March 6, 2012 10:57 AM

mutiple simultaneous strategies for the sake of peace

Ladies and Gentlemen, I'm deeply concerned about our future existence as a species. I feel our world is currently sick and in desperate need of a "holy injection" to expedite the healing process. Apart from diplomatic efforts and your military contingency plans, I would like to contribute an additional suggestion based on the theory that peoples' attitudes may be at least in part a function of the languages they try to learn. Would you please consider trying alternative methods of spreading the holy language independently of Torah. My logic (which may be flawed - I don't know) is that people who learn Hebrew will naturally gravitate towards Torah (so all I'm advocating is for an additional path to be created for a lay person to reach the ultimate truth of Torah). My feeling is that *some* people have become so averse to religion, that we have less hope of reaching their hearts through existing methods. I hope you don't find it offensive to try to "rebrand" the Hebrew language as *not only* the language of Torah. How you might do this is your choice. I also feel you may have concerns about this strategy. I understand them. I urge you to simply consider it. I trust in your decision making capability. It's only a suggestion, from a concerned and much less learned friend. Shalom.

Anonymous,
March 9, 2012 5:58 AM

Language of the Torah

My friend, you are right that Divine assistance is very much needed in this world today, however when has mankind NOT needed Divine assistance? We couldn' t stay away from one tree in the whole garden ;) That being said, the "Lord of the Torah", the Father of the Universe, is not simply the "God of the Jews", He is Lord of ALL! That being said, how can one find Him? Every where, but start in His word! "er 31:33 “For this is the covenant I shall make with the house of Yisra’ĕl after those days, declares יהוה: I shall put My Torah in their inward parts, and write it on their hearts. And I shall be their Elohim, and they shall be My people." Anyone is welcome to come into the "House of Israel", but you must accept the covenant! Now you might not know what that means, but He say's He will put it in your heart and innermost being. All one Has to do, is Love the Lord your God with all your Heart, soul and mind, and love your neighbor as your self, in doing this you have kept the two greatest commands. This is a great start! Let His Ruach HaKodesh, His breathe and spirit fill whomever desires and seeks after the truth and rigteousness and be filled. My friend you are basically saying, "the people need God, we know that- but is there a short cut version? NO! However you don't have to know Hebrew to keep Torah, and to recieve His truth, blessings, His Torah! Does it help, absolutely! Remember, it is US who needs HIS HELP, not the other way around! Why shouldn't we spend every moment doing whatever it takes to learn of Him, to worship Him, to praise Him, to give all glory unto Him in everything we do? Do you think if anyone earnestly makes that effort He will reject them, and lead them astray? If one thinks that, why would they be seeking Him to begin with? In order to understand HIM, one has to start off with some accurate presumptions, Faith you could say- I was created, I was created for a reason, that reason must be good "...and He saw that it was good."

(35)
Anonymous,
March 6, 2012 9:14 AM

G-d's finger print in the current situation (incredible)

The regime of the Shah of Iran was pro-Israel in the 70’s. The monarchy was overthrown and an Islamic republic established. For the first time the leader of the Iranian revolution mentioned that: "Israel should be wiped off the map". His name was KHOMEINI.
Now look in Hebrew, Persian and Arabic there are no vowels, only consonants. The basic letters of KHaMaN in Hebrew and Arabic are:
KHET (H) MEM (M) NOON (N)
The name of the KHoMeiNi is the same (Het - Mem - Noon) KH o M ei N i = The same as KHaMaN
Khomeini died in 1989, but his successor has the same name:
The current Leader of the revolution of Iran is: KHAMENEI = KH a M e N ei
This shows that:
- the enemy country is the same
- The name of the enemy is the same
- The struggle is the same
- The strategy to defeat the enemy is the same: Prayer and Fasting like in the times of Esther and Mordechai
Now about Iran:
- Not all Iranians hate Israel. The King of Iran (Ahashverosh) ordered HAMAN to be killed
- The King of Iran Cyrus; allowed the exiles of Israel to return from Babylon to Israel to rebuild the temple
- Iran merited to have a Jewish queen (Esther)
- Iran's land merited to have Esther and Mordechai, buried there. They are buried in the city of Hamadan.
- The descendants of HAMAN learn Torah in Bnei Barak

(34)
Sam Coriat,
March 6, 2012 5:43 AM

Destroy reactor before production starts.

Netanyahu must follow Begin´s footprints. A nuclear war will be more costly in human lives then a war now. You cannot reason with a mad dog.

Cinda,
December 2, 2012 11:49 PM

I agree, Sam. Nice to hear from you in this conversation.

(33)
Becky Bierman,
March 5, 2012 7:41 PM

respectfully disagree

Kavod HaRav, I strongly disagree with your assertion that terrorism and nuclear threat are a mida k'neged mida for our own shortcomings as a nation. Human beings who use their Gd-given abilities and Gd-given free will for evil are fully responsible for their own actions. To blame the victim is both ridiculous and cruel. Each generation is ''blessed'' with its own set of challenges and the true test lies in how we respond to the challenges with which we are faced.
As a side note, if you really do believe that Jews bear some responsibility for the 9/11 attacks (as stated in the paragraph discussing the mida k'neged mida issue), those views might be better expressed in a non-Internet forum. It would be a shame if, chas v'chalila, your divrei Torah were to be misconstrued and lumped together with seemingly similar-sounding anti-Semitic chatter on the Internet. B'vracha, Becky

(32)
Jody LeFebre,
March 5, 2012 1:10 PM

This is an enlightening and informative article. I couldn't stop reading it. I will go to my Bible ( I"m a Christian ) and read the Book of Esther to learn all about this. I emphatically support the Jewish State of Israel! Love to you all.

Jerry C,
March 5, 2012 5:31 PM

Esther in hebrew acrostics

Even more enlightening is to read Esther in it's original language, hebrew. It uses acrostics which is absolutely amazing. You lose that with an english translation.

ruth housman,
March 7, 2012 12:50 PM

acrostics

what you wrote about Esther is beautiful and very meaningful to me. I would love to learn more about this so I will look on line. Thank You so much!

Anonymous,
March 7, 2012 4:26 PM

G-d Bles You

G-d bless you, and all of our Christian friends. Keep praying for peace in Israel, and keep doing acts of kindness. I am very grateful for the friendship and good wished of Christians, and I think that most other Jews are too.

(31)
Keoagile,
March 5, 2012 12:46 PM

Israel should be proud

Israel represents something totally different in this world. The name itself. When the enemies of Israel speak of wiping off Israel, do they understand the implications of their wartalk? Do they know they are waging their finger at G-D?
Israel should be proud because she is hated as a result of her relationship with G-D.

(30)
Andrés Rosendo,
March 5, 2012 12:38 AM

Israel shall prevail

5772 Purim will face a new Haman's extinction: Ahmadinejad (Aman-Din-Ejad) and﻿ Islamofascist Republic of Iran shall fall
God bless Israel and its people

(29)
ruth housman,
March 4, 2012 11:39 PM

opening a new chapter

I marvel at how history and its profound lessons seem to repeat and we act as best we can in observing moral principles and then are hit again. There is no gain in this ongoing acid of hate that keeps iterating wipe out the Jews. This is an old story and I for one weary of this constant need to fight for justice and a rightful place in the sun. So if G-d runs the show as I deeply believe why are we constantly being put to the test?
I say to G-d, It is time to change the script.
I believe eloquence CAN save the world and none other than the eloquent poetry of a love story between G-d and those who celebrate not denigrate diversity. Perhaps the deepest lesson for the world to 'assimilate'. We are ONE, all part of the family of man.
I am not sure how we get there but I do know Purim is a time when we put on the masks of all players to enact a drama that involves us all, even Haman & maybe to turn Haman to Human is alchemy we now beseech of God.

(28)
TMay,
March 4, 2012 10:51 PM

Tzipi Livni

And Tzipi Livni is way off message.

(27)
Janice Vegas,
March 4, 2012 9:11 PM

Excellent points.

A very insightful article. The parallels are amazing. It's almost moment by moment accurate, to swing us right into the mood for the holiday. It's wonderful to see all the support for Israel in the comments. We are all one united family. G-d Bless Us!

(26)
Anonymous,
March 4, 2012 9:06 PM

Kill two rats with one stone

If Israel does bomb the nuclear facilities, I hope Ayatollah Khamenei is visiting one of them at the time. You know, cut the head off the snake, and all that.

(25)
jacob de leeuwe,
March 4, 2012 7:50 PM

the fast of taäniet is also destined for the currennt situation

We alle should fast and cry out to Hashem that he will help us and protect us against the nowaday Amalekites of the regime of Iran.
We should pray and rise our hearts and eyes tot Heaven as did the jewish people in the battle in the desert againts amalek,
And God will surely help us winning this battle against them and we shall fulfill the mitsva of timche et zecher amalek:
their name will be blotted out
Jacob de Leeuwe, Holland

(24)
Frank Adam,
March 4, 2012 7:41 PM

Don't fall into the same trap as our enemies

In 1948 the Arabs in cocksure vanity of their antisemitism and skill at kicking defenceless mellah Jews, started their war on Israel which they have not been able to finish because that requires a price to Israel ie mutual otherwise equal recognition, and peace. Any fool can start a war or brawl but it needs two to close it down which is basic playground wisdom and as good a justification for schools as class lessons. Israel should not be seen to open a war with Iran, because it will badly aggravate the existing situation of the Arab war on Israel and it would do nothing to get diplomatic support from the rest of the hypocritical World. Never forget Clauswitz that war is politics by other [ie violent] means. An open attack on Iran will be an excuse for Iran to demand passage for it army to the Jordan and for the now Shi'ite Iraqi government and Syria's maverick regime to let them.
As for the argument about the Iranian N-bomb my generation spent fifty years living the MAD nuclear stand-off between the USA and the USSR. In the end the USSR in best Marxist prognostication collapsed from its own internal contradictions as will the ayatollahs Iran - and it makes sense to encourage that discreetly given 2/3 of Iran's population are of an age not to have known the Shah and in thsi internet and satellite television age it is possible to propagandise cheaply and easily.
However taking the Roman advice, "Si vis pacem para bellum," If you want peace prepare for war; Israel should at all times have a reserve long range drone aloft in case of attack to bomb the ideological idol of the current Iranian regime namely the Jamkaran Mosque from which the ayatollahs expect their "Twelver Shi'ite" Twelfth Imam to emerge. Ditto other Shi'ite shrines at Mashad, Qom, Nejaf and Kerbala. This Iranian obsession is more ideological than material and it is the ideological that has as much priority as the N-facilities and must not be forgotten.

(23)
Anonymous,
March 4, 2012 6:58 PM

Seeing Conflict Today as Parallels in History

I thoroughly enjoyed this article because it emphasized the fact that we must look at HISTORY as a learning tool for our actions. Ecclesiastes says that there is nothing new under the sun. We must learn from history. Why must we be embarrassed to exhibit our unique Jewish character and dress. Arabs do without derision. We must assimilate without denying our unique identity as a people. The Jews of Spain hid their identity to survive. Let us stand proud of who we are....let us live as who we are.
Thank you for your thoughts.

(22)
Abraham Seiman,
March 4, 2012 6:53 PM

The Jewish people are destined to survive forever to spread ethics to the world. This the message that we need to spread and back it up with the assurance that we will make any sacrifice to maintain our survival and the right to speak out.

(21)
Sachs,
March 4, 2012 6:13 PM

Keep our heart close to tradition

Raw Yakar, dear rabbi
when tho words come from the heart they reach the neschama. Thank you so much for your wise words

(20)
Susan Lhota,
March 4, 2012 4:47 PM

Purim and AIPAC and Iran

G-d is at work! This week ushers in PURIM - the story of the attempted destruction of the Jews by the Hitler of that day and time! BUT G-D! G-d used His Esther to bring these evil plans to nought! AND Haman was HUNG on the very gallows he erected to kill G-d's Chosen Children! Today is NO different! G-d WILL protect and defend His Eternal Covenant Land and Children!! G-d Bless Israel! Am Yisrael Chai!

(19)
peyzarr,
March 4, 2012 6:22 AM

We should see further

I agree with all said and would like to add some points.
The regime of Iran changed with most western powers encouraging the Shah of Iran to leave (32 years ago). At that time Western powers wanted an Islamic belt against Soviet Rising power in the East. It did work at that time. Now we have found that we have hatched the eggs of a new Evil Dragon. People of Iran are hostages of this non-human regime and need everyone's help to get over these Mullahs. What to do and how to do it?

(18)
Anonymous,
March 4, 2012 12:41 AM

Let us all say Tehillim at the same timeLet us all be United

Perhaps when PM Netanyahu meets with President Obama on Monday we should all gather and say Tehillim and "cry out" to Hashem to guide us during these difficult times.

(17)
Rita,
March 3, 2012 8:07 PM

Haman's Demise

I hope that the world will see Iran in the same light that Haman was found to be, and the end will be quick.
I too stand with Israel. This land was given by God, and he keeps his word. I find it ludicris that the world wants to tell Israel to give up that piece of land or this other one and they call it "peace." That's poppy cock.

(16)
Joseph,
March 3, 2012 7:15 AM

If God Be For Us, Who Can Be Against Us

As a Christian, I stand boldly with the Jewish people, as we are admonished to do. Your eloquence and knowledge, drawing the Purim parallel so perfectly inspires me, as I am confident it does with all who are the targets of Iran. I pray that we are waiting for God, as we are instructed to do. He will lead us to triumph over this enemy.

(15)
Hannah,
March 3, 2012 6:45 AM

Excelente bring of Purim

(14)
Anonymous,
March 2, 2012 6:34 PM

forgetfulness

Don't worry, God is in control,as he always is. The Arabs won't win in a war against Isreal, because God owns the land, and Jews are the rightful tenants(perpetually). This does not preclude the fact that if the tenants abuse the lease agreement, the owner(God) is within his rights to evict them(again)...So, once again, this might be a good time for Jews (rabbis included) to lower their self-esteem (prideful attitudes) and search among the prophets for answers as to why,at this time in history are these events happening. God , by the mouth the prophets will tell you, that is, if you have eyes to see and ears to hear. Turn to the books of the judges, and see that whenever we were oppressed or on the verge of destruction, we would turn to God, he would have mercy on us, and raise up "giborim" and save us and as soon as the danger passes, forget and turn our backs on him, and as Scripture states; "do evil in the sight of the Lord". So here we are once again, will we ask for mercy? And if we receive mercy, will we turn again from him? Have we asked " what evil has the nation done in the sight of the Lord" ? 4000 years go by and still can't get it right ! Maybe the spiritual leaders of the nation have mislead the people and are not fit to lead. Oh boy, now there's a thorny issue !

(13)
D-Day,
March 2, 2012 5:23 PM

Iran must be stopped

As a Canadian I feel that Iran must be stooped.The leadership of that country is evil and murderous.It's time the world and that includes both Russia and China, stood up to Iran and said no to any building of any nukes. It's also time the whole world condemn Iran for it's evil ways.Iran are like rats.They carry all kinds of dirty diseases and must be exterminated period.

(12)
Anonymous,
March 2, 2012 2:40 PM

Israel standing Tall.

I love the story of Ester, Our S.S. Class just studied it not to long ago. Let Us as backers of Israel be like her and stand up and be strong.

(11)
Aviva,
March 2, 2012 2:32 PM

a word of caution

"Do we celebrate our secular universalism – rock concerts, Olympic medals and beautiful beaches – or do we emphasize our unique spiritual heritage?" - you can use all of these things to attain spirituality. You have never seen anything like a heavy metal crowd in Israel at an Orphaned Land show where thousands of Jews are singing and dancing together to words of holy songs made into metal (and Orphaned Land are not religious). Olympic medals are a way to be champion over the goyim on a physical level and beautiful beaches? Who can't look at a beautiful beach and think of G-d's artistic talent? I'm supposing you meant don't look at these things as an end, rather than a means.... because if you weren't, you may be chalila veering into Xtianity...G-d does not want you to eschew His world. You're supposed to perfect it and lift up the holiness in everything.

Irans threat is also extended to every christian..its just that they are doing it stylishly..

(8)
anchal,
March 2, 2012 1:25 PM

being a righteous goy

i support the jewish people in this time and hour of need. yes, the article is to the point. israel needs god on its side.

(7)
Don,
March 2, 2012 1:23 PM

Raised to hate.

In the reading of this artical, I am reminded of the many times, I've heard anti-Jewish trash within my own family. We moved around alot and I recall being called Jew Boy or Jew Baby by kids my own age (12 years). I'm not even Jewish! This is an example of how widely spread this evil thinking is. And this evil trend was fostered by one particular Christian denomination. These kids were raised and taught anti-semitism by their own parents and the church. Simple minded people raised by simple minded people can only bring about a world full of simple minded people. Stop hateing what you no nothing about just because your parents did.

(6)
Wassim,
March 1, 2012 7:32 PM

100% support for your continued existence

You know more than I ever could, it's your decision - I will pray for minimum collateral damage and minimum loss of innocent lives and minimum flow-on effect and eventual peace and humanity for everyone who doesn't hold any violent thoughts towards Israel or Jewish people or are undereducated/brainwashed through no fault of their own (ie. children). (sigh)

(5)
mpincus,
March 1, 2012 4:46 PM

excellent article

we all need to come together as one .

(4)
Cheryll Shay,
March 1, 2012 2:02 PM

This is serious in our present history

The article wakes one up to take note that Iran's mission is to destroy Israel and the the Jewish people. After the holocaust, the mantra that was heard on the lips of every Jew, "never again, we will not be destoyed by those who hate us!"
We are the generation that must heed to what Esther did, and that is to take every means to unify the Jewish people, pray, fast, and ask G-d to give our leaders the wisdom for strategic victory over our enemies ...just as He did in 1967.

(3)
Anonymous,
March 1, 2012 12:30 PM

POWERFUL!

Hopefully, this will awaken those who are "dead"!

(2)
Michal,
February 29, 2012 3:20 PM

It all reminds me of the Holocaus

When Israels enemies shout, we should be erased from the map, My ears hear this for the second time in my life.
As a child in Germany, I heard Hitler shout the exaxctly same words over the radio, and of course the newpapers wrote it. - And in which country did all this happen? Exactly in that country, where the Jews tried hardest, to be "good Germans" to be like "all the other nations. Oh, no. The other nations don't want us to be like them. If we are, they stop to fear us in any way. They unconciously feel, that without God we have lost
our real strength. May all Jews, inside and outside of the land of Israel, be united in being "Gods people", and in that "a light to the nations". And may those, who have lost this "idea", come home again. "Hashem, please draw us back to You and to our Identity!"

John,
March 2, 2012 2:13 PM

All righteous must unite

May the righteous people in the nations, of whom there are many, realise their responsibility to unite with God's chosen ones in opposing the modern Hamans whose prophesised fate is total destruction.

(1)
sharona,
February 29, 2012 8:26 AM

Great message, we can only succeed if we turn to Hashem to help us, and come together in unity. Together, we are strong, thank G-d